Executive headhunting in hospitality

Hi Lee. What’s your approach to recruitment?
"It is headhunting but really understanding what clients need, in great detail: where they are at in their journey, what they want [the business] to be, and the kind of people they work with.
I need to understand who a candidate is as a person, their experience and what they're looking for, but most of all what makes them tick. Then I get the two to marry up. It’s not a spray-and-pray approach, it’s a lot more specialised. I find out what clients want, and set their expectations about salary or if they are looking for something that doesn’t exist. However, my belief is usually that person does exist – and I go out and find them."

What kind of clients are you recruiting for these days?
"I essentially work with investors, for roles that are generally C-level and above. I help them understand where they are at now, where they want to be in six months, 12 months, 18 months, and what they need in terms of organisational structure. I work with companies that might be at an early stage but have significant backing. Anything from seed capital, series A, series B, series C investment."

What challenges have the past two years brought you?
"I've had record years. A lot of people think, oh my God he works in hospitality and must [be struggling]. There were a lot of great candidates on the market because a lot of people used [the pandemic] as a bit of a bookend, to come up to the surface and have a look. I was on the road more than I was pre-pandemic because I was building teams. When companies are on a growth objective, they keep going."

Great news. From your view of the industry, what else did well in the pandemic?
"Luxury resort hospitality has grown exponentially in areas that remained open like Mexico, UAE, etc – think sanctuary-like experience-led hospitality concepts. It's becoming a lot more popular for people to understand and get to know the areas where they travel. People are looking for wider, bigger spaces, with fewer other people. They’re more into food, wellness and spirituality."

Has this led to people looking to work with companies more aligned with their ethics?
"People have dialled into themselves a little bit more – they’re understanding what they’re passionate about, and what they want to go into. Sustainability is a huge opportunity a few brands are taking advantage of. It’s still quite niche, but I’ve worked with some clients for whom everything about their business model is to leave no trace. A lot of people are plugged into the ethics of that. Sustainability isn’t just a good marketing ploy – the planet needs it, and we need to do better."

Is there a need in the industry for more sustainability initiatives?
"I see a void there. I'm seeing companies paying huge salaries for people with years of sustainability experience. A lot of them had sustainability advocates on board, but more so now and they’re looking for the geeky people – ones who are really knowledgeable about it."

Does a niche area of expertise set people apart?
"In lots of roles I recruit for, what defines success is a high level of problem-solving and adaptability. A lot of my clients are on the cusp of innovation and they require people that don't get bogged down and who look for solutions."

Finally, is it a good time to work in hospitality?
"There hasn’t been a more exciting time. [Recent times mean it’s] been given a bad rap but actually, it’s booming. There are some amazing concepts happening, and it is still an incredibly creative industry. It’s still a very reliable career, and a very rewarding one."

Actually, one last thing: it’s our shout, what you having?
"Haha I am a simple man. My go-to is a nice cold caña (glass of draught beer in Spain.)"